Apparatus for die-casting metal.



IVI. STERN. APPARATUS FOR DIE CASTING METAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, |914.

Patented .Tune 20, 1916.

IV. STERN.

APPARATUS FOR DIE CASTING METAL.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG-24, |914.

' ,Patented June 20, 1916.

Maaate.

MARCUS STERN, F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DOEHLER lDIE CASTING COMPANY, OF

TOLEDO, OHIO, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

APPARATUS For, DIE-CASTING METAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgwntgd Jun@ 2U), 191115.,

.Application led August 24,191.4; Serial No. 858,308.

To all whom "it may concern it known that I, MARCUS STERN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of rloledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented 'a certain new and useful Apparatus for Die-Casting Metal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such asA will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use. the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates' to. the casting of fluid metal, andparticularly to the branch' of such art known as die casting,.but is not restricted to such use as it may be used' in any connection for which it is applicable.

The object of m-yinvention is to improve on the art of die casting of metals, whereby .to enhance-the practicability and commercial value thereof, and has for its primary object the handling of the` metal in a gasfree from or containing a small quantity of oxygen, whereby oxidationA of the metal is prevented or minimized.

@ther advantages of the invention will belapparent from the following detailed description. Y

The invention is fully described in the following speciication, and while, Ain its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment.

in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment and two modlfications of a porti-on thereof are illustrated in the accompanying draw-v ings, in which,- A

Figure 1 1s a. plan of an apparatus emand a portion broken away. lFig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the apparatus, 'and Figs. 3 and .4 are sectional Views of different modified forms of the metal molding portion of the apparatus.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, 1 designates the body portion 'of a.

' closed melting pot, and 2 a removable top or Aclosure member therefor, which s eats closely at its edge on an outwardly projecting'lange Ssur'rounding the upper edge of the part 1, the top being bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto in a manner to facilitate a removal thereof to perm1t access to the interior of the pot. A skirt 4 depends from the 'pot flange 3 entirely around the pot and in spaced relation`thereto, said depending skirt extending to near the bottom of the pot and cooperating with the wall thereof to form an open bottom combustion-chamber 5 entirely therearound.

The heating means for the pot comprises in the present instance, a gas burner 6 of the spiral multiple coil type, which is disposed in the chamber 5 around the lower portion of the pot and has valve controlled communication with a source of fuel supply through. a pipe 7. It will be understood, however, that any other suitable :type of heating means for the pot may be employed.'Y

end of the valve chamber 11 is closed from without the bottom of the pot bya nozzle 12 which is removably secured therein in any suitable manner. The ,communication between the passage 10 and chamber 11 is normally closed by a valve 13, which preferably seats upwardly against the lowerV end wall. of said passage and has its opening movements downwardly in the chamber 11. .T he valve stem 14 projects-upwardly from the valve through the passage 10and a registering opening or passage in the top 2 and is acted on by a coiled compression spring 15 to yiel'dingly retain the valve seated, said spring having its opposite ends thrust against a collar 16 on the outer end portion of the stem and against the top 2.

rlihe passage 10 is provided at its upper sage 10, forms an openv top chamber for holding a measured quantity of metal. The size of this measuring chamber may be .changed to suit different castings by using end with a removablemouth or hopper por- 'tion 17, which, in conJunction, with the paschamber and making su/ch rod adjustable from without the pot to vary the depth of 'projection of the same into the measuring rod into the measuring chamber.

l'so

The means employed, in the present instance, for lifting the melted metal from within the pot and depositing it in the measuring chamber 10-17 comprises a worm type ofpump, of which 2O is the. barrel that extends down into the metal to near the bottom of the pot and is provided at its upper end with a spout 21 for delivering the raised metal into the hopper'l?. The worm 22 is rotatably mounted within the barrel 2O and has the'upper. end of its shaft extended upward through a' bearing 23 and the top 2. A gear 24 is loosely mounted on the outer end portion 'of the worm shaft and is in mesh with a drive gear 25 that is jou'rnaled on a stud-shaft 26 projecting'upward from the top 2 axially thereof, said bearing also forming a guide for the valve stem 14, which' projects upwardly therethrough. The loose gear 24 is engaged to the worm shaft by a shiftable clutch member 2f?, which is feathered on the shaft without the gear and movable into and out of 'clutch engagement with the gear byl a control handle or lever 28. .It is evident that a rotating of the worm 22.will effect a raising of the metal from the pot and deliver it into the measuring chamber 10-17. The gear 25 has rotation bommunicated theretoin any suitable manner, as by connecting a belt pulley 29 on the hub thereof with a belt pulley 30 on a power shaft 31.

Upon opening-the valve 13 the measured lquantity of liquid in the. chamber 10-17 will 'flow into the. chamber 11 and thence through the nozzle 12 and into the cavity of a mold or die 32, which is heldin receiving engagement with the nozzle 12 in any suitable manner, as is-'well understood in the art. The movements lof the valve 13 are controlled by a lever 33, which-is fulcrumedat Q ne end Lto aswinging link 34 that pivotally rlses from the top 2,- said lever havingppin and slot connection with the valve stem 14, as at 35, to permit the lever and valve stem to have limited relative movements for the purpose'hereinafter described'.

When the metal has been delivered from the measuring chamber into the valve chamber 11 and the valve 13 closed, a gaseous fluid is delivered under pressure to the chamber 11 to force the metal into the mold cavity to completely ill thesame, as is common in the die casting art. This fluid is introduced into the chamber 11 from an annular :channel 36, which is disposed Ain the base portion of the part 9around said chamber in e at a certain height therein.

communication therewith and has communication through an upwardly extending passage in said part and a pipe 38 with a source of supply, as for instance, a tank 39 in which the compressed fluid is stored. A valve 40 is located in the iuid pipe 38 and has its control-arm 41 connected by a link 42 tothe free end portion of the valve control lever 33. The arm 41 and link 42 have pin and slot connection to'permit a lowering of the control lever 33 and link from normal position to efect an opening of the valve 13 Without moving the arm 41. The movement of the arm 41 is intended to take place upon a lifting of the lever 33 frm its normal atre'st position, such lifting being permitted by reason of the pin and slot connection 35 between the lever and valve stem. The pipe 38 is preferably provided with a coil 38 within the upper portion of the melting pot to effect a preheating of the luid passing through said pipe. A plurality of rotary agitating members 43 are disposed vertically within the melting pot and have the upper ends of their shafts projected upward and each carrying a pinion 44 in mesh with the gear 25 so that a rotation of such gear imparts rotation to the agtat-ing members.

45 designates an electrode which insulatingly projects through the top 2 and apredetermined extent down into the melting pot so that the lower end thereof 1s submerged by the metal within the pot when The electrode 45is disposed in a circuit 46, which circuit is closed through the metal in the pot and the wall of the pot when' the electrode has contact with such metal. A battery 47 and an electro-magnet 48 are disposed in the circuit 46. An armature 49 has connection with a switch 50 in a signal circuit 51, and when the electro-magnet 48 is energized the armature is attracted thereto and holds the switch 50 in open position. Upon a demagnetizing of the magnet 48, which occurs when the metal in the pot has lowered from contact with the electrode 45, a spring 52 moves the switch v50 to close the signal corcuit 51, whereby to effect a ringing of the signal bell 53. The dotted line in the metal pot indicates the preferred height of the metal therein.

' character that the presence of oxygen in the pot over the surface of the metal causes an oxidizing action'to take place in the portion of the metal exposed to the air, and an important feature of myinvention consists in the provision of means for introducing into l the pot above the metal a n'onoxidizing gas, so that oxidization is entirely eliminated or reduced to a minimum. One method of accomplishing this consists in providing communication between the combustion chamber The ingots of fresh metal are supplied to the pot thNrough a top opening that is closed by a lid 54. The products of combustion,

which enter the upper portion of, the melting pot, find an exit therefrom through a flue 55. This flue may either be connected to the atmosphere, or if found practical to utilize .such gasesto force the metal into the mold, such products may be forced by a fan 56 intona cooling chamber L57 and a portion drawn therefrom and compressed in thetank 39 by acompressorS, as indicated, the remaining portion of the gases passing from the cooling chamber 57 to the atmosphere. llf airis used to force the metal into the dies a very slight oxidizing action would be present due to the contact of the air with the metal.` Such action'would be small, however, due to the very small area of the metal with which the air has contact. rl`he utilizing of the gases of combustion or some other gas of nonoxidizing nature for forcing the Ametal into the dies would entirely prevent such oxidizing action.

1n Fig. 3 the construction of the pot is the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the Yexception that the metal is introduced into the valve chamber 11 through a measuringl chamber 60 that is entirely submerged in the metal Within the pot and has its bottom in communication through a passage 61 with the valveistem passage 62 adjacent to the seat of the valve 13. A valve 6,3 seats in the top of the measuring chamber 60 and normally closes the same and has `its stem 64 passing upward through the top of the pot to a convenient point of control. The Valve 63 may have a depending part 63 projecting into the chamber 60 and of a suitable size to displace a predetermined amount of metal therein, as the quantity of metal desired for the casting of an article may require. Valves having projecting portions 63 of different sizes may be vprovided lto vary the capacity of the measuring chamber 60. It will be apparent that when the valve 63 is open metal will flow by 'gravity into the chamber from the pot and fill the same, and that the valve 63 is closed before the opening of the valve 13 so that only the 60 measuring quantity of metal in the chamber 60 will be permitted to flow into the die.' 1n Fig. 4 the melting pot, which is designatedA 70, is provided centrally in its bottom portion with a. chamber 71,. the top of 65.which projects above the high level lin'e within the pot'. This chamber forms the combustion chamber of the pot, and a burner 72 of the ring or other suitable type is disposed therein. The chamber 71 has its upper end in communication through openings 73 in its Wall with the upper portion of the pot melting chamb'er so that the prod-y ucts of combustion are permitted to pass from the chamber 71 into the melting pot.

rlhe measuring and discharge of the metal from the melting pot is controlled in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. '1 and 2, and for such purpose a stem part 74, which corresponds to the part 9 in Figs. 1 and 2, is extended up through the chamber 71 and ring burner 72 centrally thereof and has` its upper end projected through the top of the combustion-chamber wall.` lln this stem part, 75 designates the measuring chamber having the removable hopper part 76;,77 the valve chamber, the lower end of which is closed by the nozzle 78; 79 the valve which closes communication between the chambers 75 and 77; and 80 is the passage through which fluid is introduced to the valve chamber 77 for forcing metal int'o a die.

llt is found advantageous to have the valve, which is disposed between the measuring chamber and die, adapted to seat upwardly or in opposed direction to the flow of the metal, so that the valve seat is not exposed to 'the flowing metal to the same extent as it would be if the metal were permitted to flow down over the same, thus minimizing the lwearing action on such seat. It will also be lnoted that the valve may be removed from the valve chamber by first ,removing the discharge nozzle therefrom, so that such valve can either be replaced by a new valve or the valve seat ground as desired.' It will also be noted that the delivery valve and its stem can be vremoved and replaced without the necessity of emptying the pot. It will further be noted that in each form of the invention illustrated the seat for the metal outlet valve has communication with the interior of the pot above the high level ofmetal therein through the measuring chambers-` 10-17 and 75-76 in Figs. 2 and 4 andthe passage 62 in Fig. 3, so that'any leakage of fluid pressure by said valve seat will have a free discharge into the top of the melting pot instead of through the metal* inthe pot. rlhis prevents a boiling actiony or shooting up of the metal by the escaping fluidLand' is quite an important feature.

The operation of the apparatus, particuv lar reference being made to theconstruction shown in Figs. l and 2, is as follows: The driving of the gear 25 causes the agitators tov 43 to continuously rotate and stir the metal,

and also causes a continuous driving of the pinion 24 on the worm pump shaft. When the clutch member 27 is in clutch engagement with the pinion 24, which, in the present instance, .is normally the case, the worm shaft 22 of the pump' is rotated to effect a pumping of the metal from the pot into themeasuring chamber 10-17, the size of which is determined in advance, the si1rplus metal overliowiiig from the top of such chamber back into the pot. When it is desired todeliver the measured quantity of metal from the gathering chamber into a mold the clutch-controlled lever 28 is first moved to 1 release the clutch engagement with the pinion 24 and stop the pumping action of the worm 22 and the delivery valve control lever 33 is then 4lowered to unseat the valve 13, thereby permitting the metal in the measuring chamber to flow freely into the mold. This having been accomplished the operator raises the lever 33 to permit a reseating of the valve 13 under the action of the spring 15 and to effect an opening of the fluid pressure valve 40 to permit fluid under pressure to enter the valve chamber and force the delivered metal into the die. The opening of the valve 40 is accomplished by raising the lever 33 above its normal position, which raising is permitted by the pin and slot connection 35 between the lever and valve stem, the link 42 then having an upward moving action on'the arm 41 of the fluid line valve. This action is repeated for each casting operation. When the metal in the pot is lowered from contact with the electrode 45, the signal device 53 will be sounded and the attendant thus notified to put fresh metalv into the pot, the ingots of Ametal being deposited therein through an opening provided in the top for such purpose.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificeonstruction, arrangement or form of the parts eXcept in so far as suchlimitations are specified in the claims. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a metal melting vessel, a part forming a .measuring chamber within said vessel and having its upper end open and disposed above the high level point of liquid in the vessel and having av valve controlled outlet passage leading from its lower end without the bottom of the vessel, and means operable within the vessel to convey melted metal from the interior of the vessel into the open top of said chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a metal melting vessel having a part therein forming a measuring chamber, said part having an enlarged chamber in its lower portion in restricted vertical communication with the measuring chamber formed a gravity-flow outlet passage at its lower end and a downwardly opening valve for closing said outlet passage and operable to v openthe same, said valve being removable from said passage from without the vessel.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, means forming a closed metal melting vessel and a part projecting upwardly within the vessel from the bottom thereof and forniing a metal measuring chamber having an outlet passage at its lower end leading without the lower portion of the vessel, a removable nozzle in the lower end of said passage, and a downwardly opening valve in said passage and controlled from without the vessel, said valve being downwardly removable from the passage upon a removal of said nozzle.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, means forming a closed metal melting vessel .and a part extending upwardly into said tween the measuring chamber and the outlet passage, said valve having a stem pro` jecting upwardly through the measuring chamber and the top of the vessel and being removable with the valve downwardly through said passage upon a removal of said nozzle.

' 6. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed metal melting vessel, a part projecting upwardly in said vessel and forming a vmeasuring vchamber having a valve controlled outlet passage leading without the bottom of the vessel, and a pump operable to convey melted metal from the interior ofthe vessel to said chamber.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed metal melting vessel, a part projecting upwardly in said vessel and forming a measuring chamber having a valve controlled outlet passage leading without the bottom of the vessel, and a worm type of pump operable to convey melted metal from. the interior of the vessel to said chamber.

Va closed metal melting vessel, a part Within said vessel forming a measuring chamber and having a valve controlled outlet passage, a pump having a rotatable operatingl part for conveying fluid metal from said vessel to said chamber, a rotatable agitating member in said vessel, means operable to rotate said agitating member and the rotatable part of said pump, and means operable to connect and disconnect said rst means and the rotatable part of said pump.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed metal melting vessel, a valve controlled outlet passage from the interior ofthe vessel, and means for gathering and compressing gases from Within the upper portion of the vessel and directing the compressed gases into said outlet passage.

1l. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed vessel having a valve controlled outlet passage, means for introducing a non-oxidizing gas into the vessel above the surface of the-metal therein, and means Y for gathering the gases from the interior of the vessel, compressmg at least a portion of the same, and utilizing th'e compressed gases to effect a forced flow of metal from f the" pot through said outlet passage.

12. In anA apparatus of the/class described, means forming a closed metal melting chamber having a valve controlled outlet passage, and means for introducing a fluid under pressure from asource of supply into saidpassage to forcefully eject fluid metal from said passage and into a communicating mold, said means having a coil within the upper portion of the vessel for preheating fluid passing through the means.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, a metal melting Vessel having a closed top, a part rising Within said Vessel and forming a passage which extends downward from a point above the high level of metal in the vessel through the bottom thereof and has its upper portion forming a measuring chamber, said passage being closed to the interior of lthe vessel except aty the upper end thereof, and having an enlargement in its lower end portion, a valve disposed Within said passage enlargement and seating upward against the restricted end portion of the enlargement, said valve being removable from the passage through the bottom thereof for substitution or relitting Without removing the liquid contents of the vessel. e

In testimony whereof,l I vhave ,hereunto signed my name to this speciication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' MARCUS` STERN.

Witnesses: K

F. E. AUI., M. II; MAYERS. 

